Standards and Best Practices
for Service of Process in the State of Washington
Standard
A basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.
Best Practice
A technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or reward that is believed to be more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc.
With proper processes, checks, and testing, a desired outcome can be delivered with fewer problems and unforeseen complications.
Best practices are also defined as the most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people.
The Center for Process Server Education has developed a set of Standards and Best Practices for service of process. We encourage all professional process servers to strive to reach them on a daily basis. These are subject to changes in statutory law, case law, and rules of the court. They are also under regular review in an effort to improve and expand them over time.
We encourage the process serving industry around the country to research, develop, and abide by similar Standards and Best Practices.
Standards and Best Practices are goals. It is seldom possible to fully meet all of them every day. But, sometimes, true learning is achieved more through the journey than reaching the goal itself.